Infinity
by InnocentNight
Summary: Work in Progress - With Naraku gone and the jewel whole, a new enemy arises with one sole purpose - and it's not obtaining the jewel. As a series of unfortunate events unravel, relationships blossom and new discoveries are made. Inu/Kag, some Mir/San. Rating for Inuyasha's pottymouth, violent situations, and LEMON! No readers under 18, please!
1. Chapter 1 - Just in Time

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Inuyasha, though I wish I did. *pouts* I make absolutely no money from writing these stories. It is purely for enjoyment!**

**A/N: Hello, everybody! This is a work-in-progress, and I will definitely be adjusting this chapter, along with adding multiple other chapters. This is just a test run to see what you guys think so far. I plan on making this a full-on series, but we'll see where this takes me. So, please, R&amp;R!**

**It is mostly IC, but there will be some sliiiightly OOC moments (sorry, but I need to in order to work with the plot!). There will be a few OC's in here, as well.**

**It begins in the Feudal Era, after the defeat of Naraku and the jewel is whole. It has not been purified yet.**

**Again, note: This story contains graphic language, violence, and sexual situations (very, very sexual situations). So please, if you are under the age of 18, turn back now before it's too late!**

**Love you all! Enjoy!**

**-IN**

Chapter 1 – Just in Time

"_Where am I?" she wondered._

_She seemed to be floating, covered in a blanket of darkness. Her long hair hovered around her as if she was swimming. She was naked, not even a breeze wrapped around her to tell her that the numbness she felt was just her imagination._

"_Am I dead?" _

_Immediately, she opened her eyes. She saw nothing but black. Her breathing began to quicken, her heartbeat becoming erratic. She was scared, to say the least. She looked left – nothing. She looked right – nothing. She closed her eyes again, hoping that it was a dream. She pinched her arm, letting out a yelp, but when she opened her eyes, she again saw nothing but blackness._

_She tried to remember how she got there, her mind racing for any trace of a memory. At that moment, she realized that she couldn't grasp any trace of remembrance. Her eyes raced back and forth as she looked for a hint of something. Anything. Anything in this blankness she was surrounded in. No recollection of how she got there or what had happened when she did came to her._

_Then, a sudden feeling hit her like a bag of bricks. She felt heavy as if the blood in her veins was liquid lead. A rush of tiredness began to claim her as her eyelids slowly began to drift closed._

"_Inu…yasha…," she whispered as she drifted off to sleep._

His eyes shot open as he scrambled on the branch, catching himself before he tumbled to the ground.

He looked down to see his companions sleeping. Sango was cuddled with Kirara, wrapped in her two long, fluffy tails. Miroku was leaned up against the base of a tree and held his staff between his legs, where it rested on his shoulder. Shippou was curled up in Kagome's sleeping bag as if he was holding onto it for dear life. But where was Kagome?

His breath stiffened in his chest and his heart seemed to stop pounding. She wasn't here. He sniffed around to try to grasp her scent, only finding that it was stale.

'_How the fuck did I miss this?'_ he thought to himself_. 'How didn't I notice her gone earlier?'_

He jumped down from the tree with a loud thump, waking everyone up.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Miroku asked while wiping the sleep out of his eyes.

He didn't reply.

"Inuyasha…" Sango said, giving as close to a glare as she could while barely being awake.

He continued to look off in the distance, sniffing for her scent. "She's gone," he stated, distractedly. They all looked at each other in confusion.

"Who's gone, Inuyasha?" Sango asked. They all stared at him.

"KAGOME, OF COURSE. WHO THE FUCK ELSE?" He leapt into the nearest tree and jolted into a sprint, leaving the others behind. Even though her scent was stale, it was still there. He'd follow that scent to the ends of the earth if he had to. As long as at that end, Kagome was there.

He jumped from tree to tree as quickly as his legs would carry him. _'What the fuck happened?'_ he thought. _'Why didn't I sense that she was gone? How could I miss that?_' He tried to push these thoughts aside, focusing on following her scent.

At the end of the forest, he landed in a field. It was a quiet night. The stars were dancing in the night sky. _'She always admired the stars. What the fuck is so special? They're just fucking stars,' _he thought. Of course, in the back of his mind, he knew that she saw the beauty in the night sky. And he saw the beauty in her, but he would never actually say that. _'Shut up, baka. Follow the fucking scent._'

He raced across the clearing, stumbling upon a cave. He peered inside and noticed that it was lit up by a small fire pit. Her scent permeated the area. _'She's here.'_ He ran inside the cave, not really thinking about the possibility of captors lingering the area. Further in the cave, he had found her.

She was raised against the wall, unconscious, and held tightly by chains that supported her body. She was stark naked and covered in little cuts and bruises. She had a noticeable cut running down her from the valley between her breasts to just above her belly button. She had a long, but shallow cut along her left breast, along with a very deep gash on her forehead, right along her hairline. The Shikon no Tama still remained dangling around her neck.

He shot towards her, trying to slice the chains off of her. They wouldn't budge. He tried repeatedly, setting himself into a state of near hysteria in his frustration. _'Calm yourself, Inuyasha. Think. THINK!'_ He took a look at the chains. They were made of a very thick, sturdy metal. As he frantically examined the chains, he found the small key holes where the chains connected to the wall. Sticking his claw in one of the holes, he maneuvered it around, picking the lock and releasing her. The right side of her body fell forward limply. He caught her, accidentally grabbing her breast in the process. He blushed, but moved his hand to her waist and continued to pick each lock.

Once she was free, he switched her position so that she was cradled in his arms. He quickly looked around and sprinted towards the cave entrance. Just as he reached the entrance, a large, muscular youkai stepped in front of him. He was about three times the height of Inuyasha, with a build that could resemble one of a sumo wrestler. His skin was a brownish-greenish color, covered in boils and bumps. His nose protruded out while his lips curled into a smirk.

Inuyasha's hand began to reach down towards Tetsusaiga, but he couldn't unsheathe it without having to drop the girl who lay unconscious in his arms. A low growl grumbled within his chest and up his throat. He scowled at the youkai.

"Ah, a half-breed, I see," the youkai laughed.

"A half-breed who can whoop your ass!"

"Calm yourself, young hanyou. My master will not be pleased with your efforts to steal his woman. If your life has any importance to you, you will release her."

"Fat chance, shit face! She's _my_ woman, and she's coming with me!"

The youkai laughed, "You are quite entertaining, I must say. But, unfortunately for you, I must insist you release her, or I will have to become physical. Trust me, half-breed, I will end you if you do not give her to me."

"Shut the fuck up!" he screamed.

The large youkai took a step towards him and reached out for the girl. His size did not do him justice, lowering his agility and slowing him down. Inuyasha dodged, quickly running past him and out of the cave. The youkai turned around and laughed.

"You are quick, I see. Nevertheless, this will end badly for you." The youkai turned his palms toward the hanyou, sending out a large fog of black smoke throughout the field. He covered his mouth with the sleeve of his fire-rat haori. He jumped up into the nearest tree.

"You will fall by my hand, hanyou," he stated with confidence.

"Shut up, dip shit. When I see you next, you're gonna wish you were never born!" Inuyasha yelled as he leapt into the forest. He wished he could've chopped that ugly bastard into a million pieces, but he wasn't gonna take the chance with Kagome in his arms. Her safety was worth way more than any battle. As he continued on his sprint through the forest, he quickly took off his haori and wrapped it around her in an effort to keep her warm in the cool summer night.

He then came across his other friends high about the tree tops, racing in the direction in which they came.

Kirara immediately smelled him. She looked down and switched course, flying right above Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha! Is that Kagome?!" Shippou yelled as tears began to well up in his eyes. "Is she okay?! Kami, please let her be okay!"

"She's fine, runt. We're going to Kaede's. Meet us there," Inuyasha said as he sped up, rushing towards the village. He looked down at the girl. _'She really doesn't know how beautiful she is, does she?'_ He shook the thought off and focused on getting to the village immediately.

"WAKE UP, OLD WOMAN!" He yelled as he stormed into the hut.

Sleepily, the old miko rose up and glared daggers at him through her good eye.

"Why must ye wake me in the middle of the night?" She asked. Then, she got a look of Kagome cradled in his arms, wrapped in his haori. "Place her here," she pointed to a soft blanket that Kagome had brought back for Kaede from her time. He did as she asked, very hesitant to let her go.

"What happened to her?" The old miko asked.

"FIX HER, OLD HAG," Inuyasha scowled.

"Watch ye language, boy." Her brows furrowed as she looked at him. She looked back down to the little miko. "She was bound up, yes?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"She is bruised along her wrists and ankles," she stated while holding up one of the young miko's wrists in order for Inuyasha to see.

He cringed. His mind played a reel of all of the possible things that could have happened if she stayed longer – if he hadn't come to get her. What about the things that already happened? Is there something that happened to her that he wasn't quick enough to stop? He sniffed her. She was still a virgin. He let out a sigh of relief. _'Well, that crosses one thing off the list.'_ She had a strange scent to her, yes. It was a man's scent, a foreign one. She also smelled of her own blood, which made him cringe, but that was expected with all the cuts and gashes along her body. But the most important, underneath it all, was her normal scent – the sweet smell of Jasmine, honey, and lavender. He could never get enough of her scent. It seemed to engulf him, to wrap around his body like a soft, silk blanket. It reached out to him, speaking sweet words of comfort. He cherished every moment of every day when her scent was nearby.

"Inuyasha, ye must leave," the old miko said. "I will remove the haori to tend to her wounds."

"Fuck no, I'm not leaving her," he growled.

"Inuyasha, she will not be decent. Ye must leave this hut immediately."

"I ain't going _anywhere_, old hag."

She sighed. "Very well, but ye must turn around until I am able to get her bandaged and dressed. Please go fetch some clothes for her."

"I ain't do—"

"Kagome! Kagome are you in there?!" Sango yelled. She swung the mat to the side, exposing Kagome laying on the ground. "Oh Kami, is she okay?!"

"Yes, my child, she will be alright. Please grab some clothes for her so we can dress her once she is bandaged."

"Kagome! Kagome! Kagome!" Shippou came bursting through the door, throwing himself at Kagome. Inuyasha caught him by his tail, holding him up to his face so that they were nose-to-nose.

"Oi, runt! What do you think you're doing! She injured. Don't jump on her!" He said as he tossed Shippou against the wall.

Tears weld up in Shippou's eyes as he rubbed the bump on his head. "No fair! I wanna see her too!"

"You can see her later! Let them fix her!"

"Shippou, would ye please fetch us some water?" Kaede interrupted, again, glaring at Inuyasha.

"Oi, woman, don't look at me!" He turned around, folding his arms against his chest.

"Sango, do ye have clothes for Kagome?"

"Yes, they're here in her bag," Sango stated, throwing her bag on the floor. She rummaged through her bag, pulling out a light pink tank-top and a pair of short-shorts. She blushed. '_Does she really wear this?_' Kagome always wore incredibly revealing clothes, from her school uniform to these tight shorts. Sango still had a hard time understanding that these were normal clothes in her time, but these were the only clothes she had left in her bag, so they would at least cover her for now.

Sango placed the clothing to the side and sat next to Kagome, when Shippou walked in with a bucket of water. It looked very heavy, at least for him, and he was waddling over to Kaede while spilling drops of water on the floor of the hut.

"Miroku wants to come in but I told him that she was gonna be naked. He said he was only worried for Kagome's safety, but I told him that Inuyasha would tear him into pieces with Tetsusaiga if he came in. So he's outside," Shippou said as he placed the bucket down next to Kaede. He smiled so wide that his grin seemed to stretch from ear to ear.

"That was probably the smartest thing you've ever said, runt," Inuyasha said, patting Shippou on the head.

Everyone turned their heads and stared. Even Miroku peaked in to stare at Inuyasha.

"What the fuck are you all looking at?"

"Did…did you just…say something nice to Shippou?" Sango asked.

"Keh," was all that escaped his mouth as he pushed Miroku aside and stepped out of the hut. Completely forgetting about staying with Kagome, he ran over to the Goshinboku tree and jumped onto the lowest limb. He sat there, watching the sunset, wishing that Kagome was wrapped in his arms, watching the sunset with him.


	2. Chapter 2 - Dreams

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Inuyasha, though I wish I did. *pouts* I make absolutely no money from writing these stories. It is purely for enjoyment!**

**A/N: Welcome back, guys! Again, this is a work-in-progress, so I am trying to continue on as best that I can. Of course, everyone has stuff they have to do, but I'll be writing as much as I can in my spare time. **

**Note: This story contains graphic language, violence, and sexual situations. No readers under 18, please!**

**Please, R&amp;R, so I know this is going in the right direction!**

**xoxo**

**-IN**

Chapter 2 – Dreams

He leaned with his back against the wall, while her head lay on his lap. It had been two days since they had arrived back in Kaede's village, and Kagome was still unconscious. Yes, most of her wounds were almost healed, but her bruises remained and the gash along her forehead was still fresh. She would have bled out if Kaede had not sewn it shut, but it had not healed to the extent of the other wounds she received.

Inuyasha could only sit there and wonder exactly what had happened. Two long, horrible days without receiving answers only made him worry more. His thoughts began to eat at him, bringing up unrealistic scenarios that caused his fear and anxiety to swell up within his head. _'Why did she have a cut down her stomach? Were they trying to cut her open but didn't cut deep enough? Why was there a cut on her breast? Were they touching her? No one's allowed to touch her! Only I get to touch her!'_ His ears flattened, as he glanced down at the woman in his lap. _'Well, maybe one day.'_

He looked back to the gash on her head and frowned. _'Were they trying to knock her out?'_ He growled to himself, then let out a slight gasp when her eyelids began to flutter. He slowly maneuvered his hand from under her back to up her side. He slowly ran his claws up and down her arm in an attempt at comforting her as she awoke.

Very slowly, she opened her eyes. It was mid-day and the sun was shining heavily into the hut. She closed her eyes again, willing the bright light to fade away. Of course, to no avail. She slowly opened her eyes again. As her vision began to clear, she saw that she was looking straight into a pair of beautiful, soothing golden eyes. She smiled.

"Hey there," he half-grinned.

"Hey." She let out a contented sigh. She closed her eyes again just to relax, calmed by the ministrations of his claws against her skin.

He smelled something, but he wasn't quite sure what it was. He took a deeper wiff. His eyes widened when he realized the scent that he was smelling was coming from sweet, little, innocent Kagome. He paused for a moment, unsure of what was making her smell that way. Sure, it was clear that she was aroused, but why?

"Why'd you stop?" She asked warily. "Feels good."

He didn't answer, not knowing what to say. He knows what it's like to be aroused and not be able to do anything about it, except from use his own hand. He's seen Kagome at the hot springs a few times to know how that feels. Sitting there with her head in his lap, he decided to continue gliding his claws along her arms, just to see if that was what was making her aroused.

A spike in her scent told him what he needed to know.

She turned to her side, holding onto his leg in a soft grip. "Mmm, can you rub my back?"

'_What, am I your fucking servant?'_ He looked down at her face. Her skin pale, but slightly flushed across her cheeks. Eyelashes long, resting against her silky smooth skin. Lips tinted pink, slightly parted as she sighed. _'Dammit, wench. Just one look at you and you've got me.' _He maneuvered his left hand to gently brush his claws against her back, feeling every curve along the way. He watched as her breathing slowly became labored and her pulse sped up slightly underneath his touch.

'_Fuck.'_ There it is again. That same smell. Every move of his claws down her back made her scent spike up more. That smell mixed in with her already soothing, beautiful scent began to put him into overdrive.

He dragged himself away from his thoughts in an attempt to control himself. He looked down at her while a small smile slowly spread across his face. Her breathing became more steady and her heart rate slowed down, telling him that she was asleep.

"Mmm…Inuyasha," she breathed out. "…harder…"

Harder? She wanted him to go harder? He hesitated in fear of hurting her, but put a tiny bit more pressure as he continued to rub his claws against her skin.

"Faster…Inuyasha," she sighed.

His face tilted to the side in slight confusion, but he obliged. He glided his claws along her back more quickly, but not too fast in order to stir her from her sleep.

"Mmm…Inuyasha…so big…," she moaned quietly.

His face reddened as his eyes grew big, almost bulging out of his head. Either, she was moaning in her sleep while calling out his name because of a certain kind of dream she's having, or he needs to stop spending so much time with that damn hentai monk. _'Wait a second…'_ He sniffed again. Okay, so there was absolutely no way he was wrong on this one. She was definitely getting aroused from the dream she was having. But, why his name? Why is she moaning his name? _'No one would want to be with a dirty hanyou. A half-breed. One who didn't belong in the world of humans, nor demons,'_ he thought. He didn't have a home, he didn't have anything but his fire-rat and Tetsusaiga. He had nothing to offer her.

He glanced at her as she began to stir. Her scent was heavy, erotic, and all too irresistible. He moved her head further down his leg in order to keep it away from his growing, stiffening member hiding inside his pants. The painful urge to release himself became all too overwhelming, so he started to slowly maneuver his way to leave the hut, only to pause completely where her back arched. He stopped, holding his place in hopes that she would soon relax again into a deep sleep so he can tend to his needs. Suddenly, she clenched her teeth on the front of his haori, digging her nails into the side of his leg with one hand while roughly grasping her breast with the other, letting out a small, muffled moan into his fire-rat. She remained like that for a few seconds, then again relaxed into his lap with a contented smile across her face.

He could smell the wetness between her legs as though it hit him right in the face. Kami knows that he wanted to do something, anything, to make her feel that way again…but, in real life.

He needed to leave immediately. He needed to get up and take care of his situation before he either toppled over in pain or exploded in his pants right there. He moved her head slowly, making sure that she didn't stir. Then, he gently laid her head back on the futon and sat up. He turned and stared at her for a moment, a wave of happiness slowly spilling over him. Shooting back up, he ran out of the hut and into the woods as though his life depended on it.

"Kagome! Kagome! Ka-go-me!"

She opened her eyes to see a very happy, overly energetic Shippou inches away from her face.

"Kagome! You're awake! We were so worried about you! Inuyasha told me you woke up so I came to make sure you're okay. You're okay, right? Right? Because I want you to – "

"Shippou, calm down," she said, smiling. "I'm perfectly fine. A little headache, but I'm okay. Where is everyone?"

"Oh, Sango and Miroku are helping Kaede with herbs and stuff. I dunno where Inuyasha left. I saw him run out of the hut this morning, but he looked really frantic, and said you woke up but you're taking a nap, so I waited a little so you could sleep and now here I am!" He gave the biggest grin he could muster while puffing out his chest. "But I'm glad you're okay!"

She smiled. Yes, she was paying attention. And yes, she was lying to herself about that. She was so lost in her thoughts about where Inuyasha could have gone off to that she failed to realize Shippou's hand waving in front of her face.

"Kagome? Kagome, are you okay? Do you want me to get Kaede?" He squeaked, worrying.

"No, Shippou. I told you, I'm fine," she put on a fake smile, trying to make that statement not sound as mean as it came out. "I guess I'm just a little out of it. I did just wake up, you know?"

"Oh, alright," he frowned.

She began to sit up when a wave of dizziness slammed into her like a sack of bricks. Using one arm behind her to support her body weight while using the other to wrap her hand on her head, she closed her eyes and hissed at the sharp pain radiating from her forehead.

"Shippou, what happened?"

He paused for a second. "Oh, you mean with your head?"

"Yeah, my head," she tilted her head back, trying to gain some sort of balance in her brain to make the pounding go away.

Shippou flinched, as he could smell the pain in her scent. He put his hand on her leg and looked up into her eyes. She looked down at him and he smiled when he felt her aura smooth. He just wanted to offer her some comfort so she'd feel better. "You were kidnapped a few nights ago," he said.

She stared at him for a second, then the headache came back. "How? Why? Who did it? What- what happened?"

Shippou sighed and began to relay the incident back to her. She stared, wide-eyed, listening to him intently.

"And then Inuyasha got there and you were all chained up and naked and stuff and he got you out and then he met this angry looking demon and he was like 'I'm gonna kill you' and Inuyasha was like 'grrr, no you're not' and then – "

She drifted off into her own thoughts, slowly fading away from the conversation. He saw her naked? She blushed. _'He saw me…naked? Oh, no! This is too embarrassing!'_ she thought, burying her face into her palms, blushing to the point that she matched Inuyasha's fire rat. Speaking of…

"Shippou, where did you say Inuyasha went off to?"

"Oh, he went out to the woods somewhere," he said. "Wait, wait, wait! Are you gonna go find him? Can I come, too?"

She looked down at those big, adorable emerald eyes and sighed. Putting a smile on her face, she patted his head. "Sure."

He ran and leapt onto her shoulder as they exited the hut and headed towards the woods.


	3. Chapter 3 - Questions

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Inuyasha, though I wish I did. *pouts* I do, in fact, own any of my own characters. I make absolutely no money from writing these stories. It is purely for enjoyment!**

**A/N: Hello, loves! Sorry about the delay with this chapter. I am a Theatre major and I am currently in a play (The Vagina Monologues!), and the opening night is next week. It's been very hectic lately, but I wanted to let you know I'm still here and writing. Feel free to leave me some reviews. Let me know what you guys think so far!**

**Also, I know this chapter is on the shorter side, but it has some very important information that will set up for the following chapters. I'll make up for it in Chapter 4, I promise!**

**Note: This story contains graphic language, violence, and sexual situations. No readers under 18, please!**

**xoxo**

**-IN**

Chapter 3 – Questions

"What do you mean, she escaped?"

"She…they…uh…a hanyou came. He took her," the demon stated. His growing nervousness radiated off of him in waves. Trembling, he fidgeted uncomfortably, suddenly finding his feet incredibly interesting. His master was not a man of acceptance or forgiveness. He did not tolerate any sort of failure, so to stand in front of him, scrutinized by his penetrating gaze while knowing that he had just failed his master in a very important task, made him uneasy. The demon servant had seen his master kill under much smaller circumstances. No one crossed him. No one betrayed him. No one messed up as badly as he had without living. With a sudden acceptance of his fate, he stood up straight and met his master's gaze.

"Minikui, please enlighten me. Where exactly were you when this hanyou took my miko?" His master inquired. He walked up to his servant and ran a finger along his collarbone, allowing his claw to gently graze across his servant's throat. He could sense the sudden tension in Minikui, who was holding his breath in an attempt to keep still.

"I…I was there, but the hanyou was faster than I," he mumbled, still trying to remain motionless.

"I see," was all Neikan said. He turned around and walked towards the window, looking out at the view before him. Hills rolled over the grassy terrain while cherry blossoms blew in the slight breeze, scattering them across the grassy earth. It was a sight of pure beauty, true, but his admiration of nature's magnificence was short-lived. He turned back to his servant, brows furrowing while his eyes probing his servant as if he was attempting to read into his soul. "Tell me, Minikui, exactly why I should let you live."

"Master, I have been faithful to you for years. I have never disappointed you before, and I will make sure that will never happen again. I would not dream of letting you down, once again," he stated.

Neikan remained silent, but his gaze remained locked with his servant's.

"I do not believe you understand the seriousness of your failure. Had you been anyone else, I would have killed you already, but you do bring up a valid point. Your loyalty lies with me, and so does your life. Should you fail me again, I will not hesitate to decapitate you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, master."

"Good," he said calmly. "Bring me both of them, alive. I want to meet this hanyou who stole my miko. His death will be slow and torturous. He will suffer for interfering. She is mine. I will claim her. Now, leave. I wish not to look at your repulsive face anymore. Do not return until you have them."

"Yes, master," Minikui stated. He bowed drastically, submissively, and scurried out of the room. His master sat silent while his mind played scenarios of all of the different situations in which he would claim his soon-to-be mate. The corners of his lips twitched as a smile danced across his face. _'She suffocates the air with her beauty. She will be mine,' _he thought with a wicked smirk.

"Inuyasha!" The young miko called. "Inuyasha!"

A figure clad in red jumped down from the tree branch above in front of her, earning a loud, quick shriek to escape her lips. The hanyou's sensitive ears immediately pinned down to his head in an attempt to drown out the loud noise. "Oi! What was that for, wench?" he growled.

"For scaring me, you baka!" she retorted.

"Inuyasha, why do you smell funny?" Shippou asked, sniffing the hanyou furiously.

"Keh, I don't smell like anything, runt. Your nose is broken." Inuyasha blushed, being quite aware of why he smelled 'funny'.

"No, it's not! My nose is fine!"

"Obviously it ain't, since you're smellin' things wrong."

"My nose works perfectly fine! You just smell weird!"

"What do you mean, he 'smells weird'?" Kagome asked.

"He smells like my mama and papa did when they'd go off on walks together. They always came back smelling different than normal. Like Inu_baka_ does now," Shippou glared at him, sticking his tongue out. Kagome stared at him with a confused look on her face.

"Why you..." Inuyasha growled. Shippou's eyes widened in fear and immediately hopped from Kagome's shoulder in order to make a run for it. "Come here, runt!"

"No!" Shippou yelled while sprinting as fast as his little legs could carry him. Tears began to build up in his eyes.

Not having gotten five feet towards the kitsune, a loud "osuwari!" was hollered. Casually walking over to Shippou, Kagome picked him up and cradled him against her chest. As she approached Inuyasha, he was able to lift his head against the subjugation spell just enough in order to meet her narrowed glare. He hated whenever she looked at him like this. Sure, he hid it well by countering with a more intense glare and arguing at the top of his lungs, but the look she gave him made him feel like shit. He didn't like that look directed towards him. But, she did look really fucking cute when she was angry. _'Damn her.'_

She rubbed the bridge of her nose by her eyes with her fingers, in attempt to sooth her rapidly growing migraine, while using the other hand to cradle Shippou.

"Inuyasha…" she started in a condescending tone.

"Wench, he was the one who started it!"

"All I said was that you smell weird!" Shippou retorted.

Rolling her eyes at the circle this argument was about to take, she replied, "Inuyasha, let him be. He's just a kid." Snuggling the top of Shippou's head with her cheek, a comfortable smile spreading across her face, she continued, "I didn't see you when I woke up, and Shippou said he saw you run into the woods. I was just coming to let you know that I'm going to go home soon."

"_Hell _no, you're not!"

"Yes, I am! I only have two more months of school, and then I'll be done. But I still have to study and get through finals!"

"Wench, I said no!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Baka!"

"Bitch!"

"Osuwari!"

With another loud thump, the hanyou let out a groan as his face collided with the ground. Before Kagome could get in another word, a familiar voice cut her off.

"Kagome! You're awake!" hollered Sango with a smile on her face. "We've been worried about you!" Running up to Kagome, the taijiya hugged her tightly. Always thinking of Sango as a sister for all intents and purposes, the young miko couldn't blame her for caring about her safety. If she were in that same situation, Kagome knew she'd be worried, as well. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?" Sango questioned.

Kagome giggled. "I'm fine, Sango. Thank you for asking," she responded, giving a quick glare at the hanyou. His ears dropped back on his head while his eyes met the ground, realizing he had not even asked her how she was feeling since she woke up from the incident. "I think I'm going to go home for a little. I have a few very important tests coming up that I need to study for."

"Oh, that school of yours is almost over, correct?" Sango asked.

"Yes, but we have exams called 'finals' that we need to take in order to graduate."

"Ah, I see," said Miroku as he entered the clearing. "Does that mean you will be remaining here after you graduate?" Miroku was a very intelligent man. He knew that the subject hadn't been specifically touched upon yet, especially as to the possible results after purifying the jewel. The relationship between Inuyasha and Kagome had not come out in the open, at least to each other, so any conversation regarding where she remains, should the well seal up after the purification, had not been addressed. Although everyone around them was fully aware of the feelings the two had towards each other, they themselves were blind to the obvious. The monk believed that trying to nudge them closer wouldn't hurt anyone, and would help calm all of the yelling and bickering the two did on a daily basis.

"I…I'm not sure. We'll see what happens," Kagome said calmly. She didn't really want to think about things like this, especially after finally waking up from, what she had been told by Shippou, a fairly eventful evening. She knew in the back of her mind that she wanted to stay wherever Inuyasha was, but Kikyo still walked the earth, so the possibility of the hanyou being with her was not an option at the moment. Plastering a small, fake smile back on her face, Kagome continued, "I definitely do need to go home, though. Sango, would you walk me?"

Inuyasha glared at her, letting out a low growl.

"Sure," Sango responded.

"Just let me get my bag from Kaede's." While Kagome ran back to the old miko's hut, the curious eyes of the two humans turned towards the hanyou.

"Inuyasha, I was curious…"

"Spit it out, monk."

"Why did this youkai take Kagome, yet left the jewel in her possession?"


	4. Chapter 4 - Bad Ideas

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Inuyasha, though I wish I did. *pouts* I do, in fact, own any of my own characters. I make absolutely no money from writing these stories. It is purely for enjoyment!**

**A/N: Welcome back, fellow Inuyasha lovers! I decided to post chapter 4 shortly after posting the previous one, considering I have some time in order to write between rehearsals and classes. This chapter ended up being really long, so I cut it down into two chapters. I also will be getting back surgery in about two months, so until then, I will post stories as quickly as I can, but while I'm in recovery, I will have about two months or so of free time to write, so chapters should be up more frequently. I'm super excited about this story! I'm hoping some big things will come of it. Also, reviews are welcomed!**

**Note: This story contains graphic language, violence, and sexual situations. No readers under 18, please!**

**xoxo**

**-IN**

Chapter 4 – Bad Ideas

"How long do you think you'll be gone?" Sango asked.

"I'm not sure, just a few days," the young miko responded. "These tests are very important. I need to pass them in order to graduate."

"You need to go back to your time to study them?"

"Yeah, I won't have a certain hanyou there to distract me. I miss my family, anyway. I haven't seen them in about a month."

"That's understandable. I wouldn't want to be away from my family long, either," Sango said. She looked down at the ground, avoiding the Kagome's gaze. She still missed her family, which would be expected when one loses them. She lost her mother at an early age, so she didn't know her very well. But her father…she loved him. He could be a little stern at times when it came to her lessons and training, but she knew, deep inside, he loved her. The twinkle in his eyes whenever he saw her said exactly that. She missed him severely. She missed his rare hugs. They were warm and ever so loving. She missed the way he'd say, 'That's my girl. You're doing great' whenever she excelled in her training. Though he wasn't the most affectionate, she could tell how much she meant to him, and knew how much he meant to her. Her brother, Kohaku, though…that was another story. They were very close, and whenever they had a problem, they'd come to each other. He was as close to a perfect brother as one could get, and she cherished him with all she had. When Naraku used Kohaku to kill their father and fellow taijiya, that day became her biggest nightmare. Once her brother tried to kill her, she almost welcomed death, but she needed to try to stop, and save, Kohaku. The worst part about it was, when Kohaku was resurrected, he was then in the hands of Naraku, a slave to the twisted Hanyou's mind. When Naraku removed the jewel shard from his back the day of the final battle, Kohaku no longer was able to hold onto life. Sure, she had been upset, but after her hours and hours of crying, she accepted the fact that his soul was free from Naraku's evil ways. He was free to be at peace. Yet, not a day goes by that she doesn't think about her long lost family and village, but she had accepted that it had happened, and the only thing she could do is move forward with her life.

Kagome saw the look on her friend's face and the little trace of water building up in her eyes. She pulled the taijiya into a strong embrace, resting her chin on her friend's shoulder. "You know, losing people you love is never easy, but they've found peace. Their souls are happy, now. It's sad being away from them, yes, but try to be happy knowing that they will always be with you. And besides," she continued. "You still have family. A small, awkward dysfunctional family…" Sango giggled between sniffles. Kagome smiled. "…and we will always be here for you."

Once they released from their embrace, Sango looked at Kagome with a small smile on her lips. "Thank you. I've always wanted a sister, anyway."

"So have I," Kagome grinned back. "I really do need to get going, though. Don't worry, I won't be gone too long."

"Okay, just try to return as soon as you're able. We all know how Inuyasha gets when you're not around. He throws tantrums and lashes out at anyone who tries to say even a word to him."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "He's just being a drama queen."

"Huh?" Sango asked, looking at her with a confused gaze.

"Nothing, it's just an expression from my time. I'll be back soon!" And with that, Kagome jumped into the well as a large light blue, purple, and black emanated from inside.

Inuyasha sat with Miroku at the base of a tree in the forest, not too far from Kaede's hut. The hanyou was having trouble paying attention to what Miroku was saying, as he was continually zoning in and out from his own thoughts.

"Don't you agree, Inuyasha?" The monk asked, not realizing that he didn't have the hanyou's attention.

"Keh, sure."

"So when are you going to do it?" Miroku questioned, turning his gaze from further into the forest to his friend.

"Do what?"

"Admit your feelings to Kagome. Will you be doing it once she comes back from her tests?"

Inuyasha froze. He wasn't paying attention. He didn't know what the monk had said, and most of the time, he just didn't care. But this…this was a subject that got his attention, which he had tried to avoid for a very, very long time. His feelings for the girl-turned-woman had been held inside. Nothing was definite for his future, whether his fate be with Kagome in life or Kikyou in hell. Either way, he didn't want to take the chance. Until Kikyou finds peace, he cannot vow his life and love for Kagome. Sure, he has promised, at least to himself, to protect Kagome for as long as she will let him. But, he had also promised Kikyou he would always protect her. He avenged her death by killing Naraku. What he wasn't expecting was that after the battle, she was still determined to take him to hell with her. So, until she was finally peacefully put to rest, Inuyasha could make no commitment to the woman he so deeply loved. It was at this trail of thought that he realized he had openly admitted to himself that he loved her. _'Love? What about Kikyou? When did I stop _loving _her?' _He was confused beyond belief, but his love for Kagome was undeniable, no matter how much he tried to shove that feeling so far back in his head in his desperate attempt to prevent him to admit such a thing. Yet, it was still there, growing every day that she was nearby.

"Not happening, monk," he said.

"You just said you would finally tell her," Miroku responded.

"Keh. I wasn't actually paying attention."

Miroku rolled his eyes. "Of course you weren't. But, that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it."

"Feh. Not the right time, anyway."

"What do you mean, 'not the right time'?" The monk tilted his head slightly in a questioning manner.

"Keh. Forget it," Inuyasha answered. He turned his head away to hide the slight blush that crept upon his cheeks.

"It is because of Kikyou, am I correct?"

Inuyasha turned back to face his friend. He got mere inches away from his face before he said, "None of your business, monk", jumped into the trees and leapt away. Miroku sighed, knowing full well how he was lucky to even get that much out of the hanyou. His friend was always incredibly stubborn, as well as secretive about his emotions. Although he knew deep inside that Inuyasha considered them friends, maybe even brothers, on the inside, he would never, ever in a million years voice it. He smiled.

Standing up and heading back towards the village, he continued to wonder about the kidnapping. _'Who was he?'_ Miroku knew that this person, whoever they may be, had some sort of plan. Inuyasha mentioned that she smelled like a man, a scent that he couldn't specifically place. Miroku's main concern is what he wanted with Kagome and why he didn't take the jewel. _'There are only two logical explanations,'_ he thought. _'Either he wants to use the jewel at a later time, and use Kagome along with it. Or…,'_ his eyes widened. _'…he just wants Kagome'_. The monk had some to think of her as a little sister over the years, even if he had peeked at her once or twice or ten times bathing with the love of his life. The thought of someone stealing her and ra…taking advantage of her…tore him inside out. Hopefully, it was just a one-time capture with a plan who had specific plans as to what he was going to do to the girl, and not a continual plan as he suspected. It was very common for women to be captured and raped in this era. They were either killed after, or left to perish from a broken soul. Luckily, Inuyasha had gotten there before anything had happened to the young miko. He was completely against all type of rape, but it did seem odd that this was a full youkai capturing a human woman, miko powers included or not. That was just rarely heard of. Also, Kagome, as well as the others, were fairly well-known, due to their defeat of Naraku. It would not be a surprise if this person was plotting something. He visibly cringed and hope to Kami he was wrong.

Once arriving at Kaede's, Inuyasha was nowhere to be found. Miroku knew exactly where the hanyou was: perched up on one of the high branches of Goshinboku. Whenever Kagome left for her time, he would sit up in the tree, sulking for days without sleeping, waiting for her to return. He smirked, knowing how obvious it was that Inuyasha cared about her and just wanted her to be with him at all times of the day. He never liked to leave her side. Now, why can't Kagome see it?

Miroku was pulled from his musings when he found himself in Kaede's hut, not truly remembering walking in. Kaede had asked him where Sango was.

"She walked Kagome to the well," he responded.

"Ah, yes. She mentioned having to take a test, did she not?"

"Yes. She needs to study."

Kaede looked back at the bowl before her and began crushing herbs again. Ever since the first time that the group was brought back injured from a battle, she knew that keeping a stock of potions and herbal treatments was a smart idea. There have been numerous times when they have crashed into her hut, yelling for her assistance when one of them was injured. There were many times when the care they needed was immediate, so she would always have to rush to make a remedy to help. Now, she kept a stock of different varieties of treatments for the future.

Suddenly, a red and silver figure barged into the hut very inelegantly and plopped down beside the fire, next to Miroku.

"Got any food, old hag?" Inuyasha spat out.

"Watch your tongue, boy. They stew will be ready soon. Why don't ye go and retrieve more water?"

"I ain't your slave, woman."

Shippou skipped into the hut with a giant smile on his face. He had been playing with the children of the village all afternoon, and he was exhausted. Although he was a youkai, running around for hours playing freeze tag and hide and seek could tire anyone out. He was hungry and his little legs needed a break.

"Hi, Kaede! Whatcha makin'?" Shippou asked.

"Hello, child. I am making rabbit stew. It is almost finished," Kaede replied.

Shippou nodded and sat next to Kaede, across the fire from the hanyou.

"Where did Kagome go?" Shippou asked everyone, but was internally directing it towards Inuyasha.

"She went back home. She should return in a few days," Sango said, pushing the door mat aside and stepping into the hut.

"Can we stop fucking talk about her leaving?! She left, we get it. Now shut the fuck up!"

The group fell silent. Sango furrowed her brows and glared daggers at the hanyou. He hadn't mean to burst out like that, but he knew, as did all of them, that he became very easily irritated when Kagome wasn't around to put him in his place. Her calm aura soothed him, wrapping around him like a warm blanket in the middle of winter. It relaxed him and make him feel at peace. Being near her made his heart feel like it was melting, and that, he was perfectly okay with.

At that point, Inuyasha pushed away his thoughts to glare back at Sango. It was then that he and Shippou noticed the slight tinge of sadness in her aura, but wisely said nothing. While Inuyasha decided to not comment on it, knowing that it wasn't any of his business, Shippou wasn't as wise.

"Sango," Shippou said, walking up to the now sitting taijiya and putting his hand on her knee, he continued, "are you okay?"

Sango looked down, plastering on a small, but genuine smile. "Yes, Shippou, I am fine."

Miroku cleared his throat, drawing Sango's attention. He saw her slightly red, puffy eyes and took a mental note to ask her about it later. He knew that now, around everyone, was not the time. Then, he turned back to Kaede, who began pouring the stew into separate bowls.

"Kaede, may I ask a question of you?"

"Yes, ye may."

"When Inuyasha found Kagome, she still had the jewel around her neck. If someone wanted her to get to the jewel, would they not have taken it by then?"

Kaede raised an eyebrow and began serving the stew. "That is an interesting point," she replied. The air was thick with tension.

Glancing quickly at the hanyou, then back at the old miko, Miroku continued, "I'm wondering…do you think he wasn't after the jewel?"

This statement caught Inuyasha's attention. His head shot up and stared at the monk, wide-eyed. "What are you saying, monk?"

"I'm merely wondering what he could be after," Miroku replied. Truthfully, Miroku didn't want to actually spell it out for Inuyasha. An idea such as this was sure to anger the hanyou, and Miroku didn't feel like dealing with those repercussions. Turning back to Kaede he said, "I know that we are well-known around the land because of our defeat of Naraku. I am wondering if someone is targeting us. Maybe they were upset about Naraku's demise, or they are trying to challenge us. I'm not sure about their motives. I was wondering if you had any ideas."

"Inuyasha, will ye please exit for a few moments?"

"Hell, no. Whatever you gotta say in front of him, you can say in front of me."

"Inuyasha, ye may not like this conversation."

"Spit it out, old woman!"

She sighed. She had gotten used to handling Inuyasha's anger over the years, but that didn't mean she welcomed it. She turned back to Miroku in an attempt to avoid eye contact with Inuyasha.

"Kagome was found naked, am I right?" Miroku nodded, Inuyasha growled. She sighed, again. "I am not sure what his motive is. It is merely an idea. But I do believe there is a possibility that he wanted to…take advantage of her."

Everyone understanding what exactly she meant, all that could be heard was a gasp from Sango, a low, intimidating growl from Inuyasha, a small wail from Shippou, while Miroku merely nodded.

"That is my fear," he said. "I was also thinking this."

"We should take turns keeping an eye on her. There should always been at least one of us with her," Sango commented. The fear for her friend radiated in her voice. Then, she turned to Miroku, and with a slight glare, she said, "and I will be the ONLY one to accompany her to the hot springs, as usual."

Miroku sighed. He was so misunderstood.

When Miroku turned to hear, frightfully, what Inuyasha had to say about this, he saw nothing except the side of the hut where Inuyasha had been leaning. Everyone else's eyes followed, and saw him missing. It was no surprise to anyone that he had already left.

_'Stupid wench. You always get yourself into trouble, don't you? Keh!'_ Silently, in the depths of his mind, he admitted to himself that he loved protecting her. He sometimes even wished she remained untrained as a miko and oblivious to the power she had, so that she would continuously rely on him to protect her. Then, she'd have a reason to stay by his side. He shook off the thought. She deserved to train if she wanted, or leave if she wanted. It wasn't his choice. His ears flattened onto his head. He didn't deserve to have a woman like her remain with him.

He raced towards the well, determined to go and get her, or at least make sure she was safe. He didn't like not knowing what she was doing or wondering if she was okay. He would go and get her, she'd be happy that he came, and she'd give him a kiss of appreciation. _'Yeah, right.'_

Without slowing down, he jumped inside the well and was surrounded by the warmth of the time portal.


	5. Chapter 5 - Awkward

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Inuyasha, though I wish I did. *pouts* I do, in fact, own any of my own characters. I make absolutely no money from writing these stories. It is purely for enjoyment!**

**A/N: Hello, friends! Welcome back! The show ended last night, and it was so much fun. I'm so sad that it's over, but that also means that I will be able to write more frequently! So, sorry for the delay. I'm having a lot of fun with this story so far. I have so many ideas running through my head right now, and I can't wait to see how this turns out. I hope you all are enjoying this. Reviews are welcomed! **

**Also, right now it may seem as though there is no plot, but I guarantee all the pieces will soon be falling into place. And as far as the citrusy goodness is concerned, there will be some lime on the way, but the lemons will be at slightly later chapters, because I don't really like to get right into it. I personally don't feel as though that's how they would act. Anyways, please have some faith! Lol.**

**Note: This story contains graphic language, violence, and sexual situations. No readers under 18, please!**

Chapter 5 - Awkward

"What do you mean, you're not going to prom?" Yuka questioned with a look of confusion and shock on her face.

"I just don't have the time. I have to study for finals," Kagome responded.

"Yeah, we all do. Prom is practically socially required!" Ayumi stated.

Of course, prom was optional. But to the whole senior class, prom was a tradition that seniors attended every year. Yet, Kagome didn't quite feel it was necessary. Maybe, three years ago she would have. But now…now was different. Everything was different. Her life had done a complete 180 as soon as she touched down into the fresh spring air on the other side of the well, 500 years in the past. Battling demons, hunting down shards: they were all much more important to her, now. _'And…doing it alongside a certain guy. Oh, Inuyasha…'_ Kagome thought. She was dragged out of her thoughts when she heard a voice in her face.

"Earth to Kagome!" Eri yelled, waving her hand in front of her face.

"Sorry, I'm just a little distracted."

"It's okay. We know you've been sick and that you need to study, so you're probably stressed out. But going to prom will help you get your mind off of everything! Plus, maybe you'll meet a cute guy!" Ayumi exclaimed excitedly.

"Yeah, like Hojou! I bet he would absolutely love to dance with you!" Eri giggled.

"I don't think so, guys."

"Come onnnn," Yuka said. "It'll be fun!"

"I – "

"Higurashi!" a voice called from across the room of WacDonalds.

She buried her face in her hands, hoping, no, praying that it wasn't who she thought it was. She looked up and groaned. Of course, it was. She took three deep breaths to calm herself, and plastered a fake smile across her face.

"Hi, Hojou. How are you?"

"I'm great," he grinned. "I was just wondering how you're feeling."

"I'm fine. I – "

"She wanted to know if you want to go to prom with her!" the three girls shouted in unison. Hojou looked at them with a mild shocked expression, then turned back to Kagome. Again, she groaned, and turned her head to avoid meeting his gaze.

"Is this true, Higurashi?"

"I'm sorry Hojou. I – "

"Of course I'll go with you!"

'_Dammit!'_ she thought. She never cursed aloud, but her head was a free range where she could say exactly what was on her mind. _'Why isn't anyone letting me finish?'_

And with that, Hojou walked away, grinning like an idiot. She turned back to her friends and narrowed her eyes. Her friends never let her make decisions on her own, especially when it came to Hojou. When he was around, she wasn't even able to speak for herself, at all.

"Excuse me, guys," Kagome said, a slight annoyance tinging her tone. "I need to get home. I told my mom I'd be home for dinner."

"Alright, Kagome!" Ayumi said cheerfully.

"See you later! Don't forget to get a dress!" Eri said, slightly yelling.

"And shoes!" Yuka chimed in, flashing a big smile and waving goodbye.

The young miko waved back, unenthusiastically, and raced outside. She didn't feel like dealing with them any longer. She would like to have a discussion with Hojou, explaining that she can't go with him, and let him down very easily. In truth, he was a very nice guy, but he wasn't 'the one'. She just couldn't return his feelings, even if she wanted to. Yet, she couldn't tell him, considering she didn't even have his number. He was a grade above them, so he no longer went to school with her, but instead went to university. She didn't have any way of really seeing him, except for random moments when he would just magically show up. She also didn't want to wait until prom, because she knew that would be rude to tell him she can't go on the night of the actual dance. She also didn't want to stand him up…again.

Once she reached the steps of the shrine, she slowly trudged up them, deciding that she would figure that situation out later. Walking inside, a lovely smell permeated the air.

"Kagome, dear, I'm so glad you're home," Mrs. Higurashi said. "Dinner will be ready soon."

"Okay, mama. I'll be back down in a few." Kagome climbed the stairs to her room and closed the door behind her. She sighed. Again, groaning, she plopped face down onto her bed, her legs and arms stretched out around her. She never wanted to get up from her comfy bed ever, ever again.

He climbed up to the window and peeked in. There she lay on her pink, plush bed in her pajamas, curled up in a ball under the covers. _'She's so fucking adorable, and she doesn't even know it.'_ He sighed. Slowly and quietly sliding the window open, he climbed inside. She shifted slightly as the cold breeze entered the room, and he, just as carefully, slid it closed.

'_Wait a second…,'_ he thought while sniffing the air. His eyes opened wide at the realization. _'That scent. Why does she smell like that again?'_ Inuyasha began to wonder how often she has dreams like this. She had it yesterday when she was waking up from the incident. So, what's giving her these types of dreams?

"Inu…yasha," she breathed quietly. He let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He bent down slightly, enough to get a better look at her face. Kagome had a purely genuine smile on. Her lips were slightly parted and her eyes were fluttering underneath their lids while she dreamt. Her chest moved up and down with her slightly-heavy breathing, her breasts lifting each time under her thin pajama top.

He sat, continuing to watch her face, as it slowly began to shift from happily dreaming to a look of pure pleasure. Her eyebrows began to furrow as her eyes shut tight. Her smile melted as she bit on her lower lip, which he always found incredibly attractive. Her head began to fall back, exposing her neck.

Still examining her movements, his pants began to tighten as his erection sprang to life with full-force. Putting his hand over his pants to cover himself, he decided, uncertainly, to wake the quietly moaning woman before him before things got out of control. He was having a hard time as it was trying to control his youkai blood from taking her right then and there. The scent of her arousal was growing thicker with each passing second, and he began to feel himself start to teeter between hanyou and youkai. It was screaming for him to take his mate, while the hanyou side knew, however much he wanted to, he would never do anything with her like that unless she truly wanted it. This, though, he knew would not happen. The years of ridicule and abandonment solidified his doubts of ever being able to be with her. She had even told him, once, that she loved him as a hanyou. Whether that was just to transform him back, or that she actually meant it, he didn't know. Regardless, it worked, and he has kept those words engraved in his mind ever since. _'It's all just wishful thinking,'_ he mused.

Carefully, he got up and walked closer to the bed, crouching so his face was mere inches from hers. He gently shook her. Nothing except a small moan that left her lips. He nudged her shoulder with a little more pressure this time, but not forceful enough to actually hurt her. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, and once her mind registered exactly who was right next to her, she immediately sat up with a gasp and a very dark hue of red spread across her face. _'Oh, Kami,'_ she thought. Kagome hoped with all her might that the dream she was having was not obvious to the hanyou next to her, but she knew his sense of smell was almost perfect. He turned his face, blushing as well, and cleared his throat in order to break the tension.

"You were making weird sounds, so I woke you up," he paused, hoping his knowledge of said dream was hidden. Hesitantly, he continued, "Are you okay?"

After a few seconds, her mind a haze from both the intensity of the dream and the embarrassment from being woken up from it, she cautiously answered, "I'm…I'm fine."

"Okay. Good," he replied, refusing to meet her eyes.

"I…um…I'm going to go to the bathroom." She tossed her legs over the side of the bed, stretching to where a small portion of her stomach was showing from her lifted top. He watched, gulping like a thirsty man in the Sahara desert. As she sluggishly lifted herself from the bed, he also stood up and proceeded to walk towards the door.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm hungry. You got any – " his voice hitched in his throat as her hip rubbed up against his still hardened member while she passed him through the doorway. He had, foolishly, completely forgotten about his situation. He was both so infatuated and embarrassed at the time, that he ignored his own personal issue 'down below'.

As soon as she felt it, she stopped abruptly in her tracks. She was praying to every kami that ever existed that she was wrong about what she thought she bumped into. She tensely turned her head, her body following suit, as she looked him in the eyes. They were full of uncertainty, embarrassment, and self-loathing. She did feel bad for him. She knew him well enough by now that she understood, yet didn't agree, with the way he thought. He consistently held a fear of abandonment within himself. He felt as though he didn't deserve love and should not be worthy of any hope for a bright future. But, Kagome knew better. She put on a small smile, one of sympathy and understanding, until her eyes decided to betray her and seemed to look downwards on their own accord. Her eyes met the tent that was pitched within his hakama, and she seemed to be frozen in place. She couldn't look away. It seemed as though her eyes were glued to his groin. She had battled demons on almost a daily basis, helped defeat Naraku, but could not, for the life of her, remove her eyes from the hanyou's genitals. _'Turn away, girl! Turn away! In fact, turn away and run for the hills!'_

As he saw the small, sympathetic smile spread across her face, his own took on a look of confusion. _'Why isn't she disgusted? Why is she just standing there, smiling? Oh Kami, help me,'_ he thought. It was then that he watched her eyes travel down his body, onto his hardened member. He watched as her eyes grew wide, almost covering her entire face, and her jaw slightly dropped. He caught his breath, temporarily immobilized out of complete and utter shock. His mind tried, practically begged, to get his body to move, but his body remained, fixed to that specific spot he was standing.

After what felt like an eternity, her eyes slowly made her way back up to meet his gaze. Yet, his fire-rat-red face was turned away. He almost had a pained expression on his face. Kagome took that moment to speak up, trying to ease the now suffocating tension that filled the air between them.

"Um, there's ramen downstairs."

Letting out a breath, Inuyasha simply nodded and practically sprinted downstairs and into the kitchen.

'_Baka, baka, baka!'_ Inuyasha slammed his head into the kitchen table, causing the wooden structure to shake and spill some of the hardly-touched ramen. He could not believe he had let himself be so incredibly weak. He had been around this girl for a little over three years, and although he hadn't actually liked her…at all…in the beginning, the entire amount of time following that, he had been able to withstand the changes in her scent, her heat cycle, even fucking mating season. Of course, trying to restrain himself during these times proved to be some of the most difficult challenges of his life, but he still kept himself under control. Now, though, he had to go fuck that all up by practically _letting_ the woman he so desperately desired see him in such a weak state. He sat there, defeated, slumped over with his face against the table. He was in such an immense state of shock, embarrassment, and self-disgust that he didn't even want to eat his ramen. Inuyasha. Not wanting to eat ramen. The hanyou felt as though he had dug his own grave, jumped in it, and yelled, "Bury me alive!" to the entire world. _'On second thought, that really wouldn't be such a bad idea right now…,'_ he groaned.

'_Why did he…what did he…why?'_ The miko looked at herself in the bathroom mirror, barely registering what she was seeing. She was in such a state of shock that she couldn't even acknowledge anything else. Her heart was still racing. Sure, she had seen pictures of those kind of things in her health class, and of course this era is full of sex between television, movies, and books, but to actually see someone that she knows…cares about…in that kind of state just threw her for a loop. What made it worse was the fact that she had just had a dream that involved the specific condition that he had been in. _'He was…that was…he's…bigger than even in my dreams…but how…'_ She shook that thought. No, no she wasn't about to start thinking like a lecher. No way. Not happening. She closed her eyes, breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth, trying to clear her head. Steadying herself, she straightened her shoulders and puffed out her chest. As she opened the door that led into the hallway, she walked straight into what felt like a brick wall. She looked up to meet a pair of amber eyes wavering down at her. Although he always wore a gruff appearance, masking any true emotions he may have, Kagome could always read straight through those beautiful golden orbs. His eyes shared everything to the world. When she stared into them, she saw his low self-esteem and sadness.

Lifting her hand to cup his cheek, she whispered, "It's okay."

Her calming voice and soothing aura had him unconsciously leaning into her gentle touch, until his eyes flew open when he realized what he was doing. With a blush dusted on his cheek, he turned his face away. "I'm gonna…um…go," he said.

"Oh…okay," she replied.

His ears flattened to his head at the defeated tone in her voice. He knew she wanted to talk, but he really just couldn't face that right then. The embarrassment still resonated inside and out, and he had already displayed enough weakness for tonight. Or, rather, a lifetime. He ran into her room and leaped out the window. Although he knew he wouldn't be able to stay inside, being near her, if she had one of those dreams again, he couldn't help wondering why she had been having these dreams in the first place. He knew that occasionally her arousal would spike in her sleep, or even, albeit rarely, while traveling, but these past two days, it has been way too overwhelming. As he remembered his reason for coming in the first place, he decided to sleep outside on Goshinboku to keep watch. He needed to make sure that Kagome was alright, especially with that fucking demented demon running around and tying innocent girls up and taking advantage of them. His face contorted in disgust at the thought. Although, he highly doubted that the demon would be able to come to the shrine, let alone her time at all, he wouldn't risk the chance. He couldn't. What if she came into the well by herself and the demon was waiting for her on the other side while he went to go 'use the bathroom', as she called it. What if the demon still lived until this time, and he knew where she lived? He visibly paled. _'Hell no,'_ he thought. There was absolutely no way he was letting her out of his sight.

He sighed. _'Tonight's gonna be a long ass night.'_


	6. Chapter 6 - Big News

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Inuyasha, though I wish I did. *pouts* I do, in fact, own any of my own characters. I make absolutely no money from writing these stories. It is purely for enjoyment!**

**A/N: Wow, a little quicker in getting this out than I thought! Hope you guys enjoy. Let me know what you think so far!**

**Note: This story contains graphic language, violence, and sexual situations. No readers under 18, please!**

Chapter 6 – Big News

"Oi, wench! You ready?"

"Hold on! I'm packing the supplies!"

"Hurry up! We ain't got all day. By the time you're finished, it'll be New Year's!"

"Watch it, dog boy!" Kagome yelled.

"Calm down, you two," Mrs. Higurashi said. A soft smile spread across her lips while she watched the young couple argue in the living room. Although they argued almost constantly, the way they looked at each other was evidence enough of the inevitable feelings between the two. They were like a married couple, in a way. She was drawn from her thoughts when a loud "osuwari" was yelled, followed by a thump and a groan. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Is he going to be okay?"

Kagome smiled. "Yes, mama. He'll be fine. He's just a little crybaby," she said, throwing a glare Inuyasha's way.

"What was that for, wench?!" He hollered, groaning.

"For being a baka!" She replied. Getting her stuff together and throwing her backpack over her shoulder, she plastered on a huge, sarcastic grin. "I'm ready. Hurry up or it'll be New Year's by the time we leave!"

"Wench, when I get up…"

"You'll what?"

"I'll…I'll...I'll throw you in a lake!" He said as the subjugation spell began to wear off and he slowly started getting up.

"Not before I _osuwari_ you to death!" She grinned as he was, once again, pulled towards the ground.

He let out another groan. "I thought you wanted to hurry!"

"I thought you'd stop being such a baka!"

"Please, you two, calm down. Kagome, dear, did you pack enough food?" Mrs. Higurashi interjected.

"Yes, mama. We'll be fine. But, the bag is a little heavy. Maybe I should take out some ramen…," she began, intentionally being loud enough for Inuyasha to hear. Suddenly, a hand slapped onto her mouth from behind.

"Don't you dare even finish that sentence, woman," he threatened.

Sticking her tongue out, she licked his palm. His hand flung away from her mouth while he wiped it on his hakama.

"What the hell did you do that for?!"

"Don't try to do that again! And watch your language around mama!"

This continued until they appeared back onto the other side of the well.

"Baka!"

"Bitch!"

"Osuwari!"

Thump!

"Inubaka, what did you do this time?" Shippou asked while leaning over the edge. He came to see a very flattened looking hanyou and a very smug looking miko on the bottom of the well.

"I didn't do shit, runt!"

"Sure you didn't," he said. Turning to Kagome, he continued, "Kagome! I'm so glad you're back!" His grin spread from ear to ear.

"I've missed you, too, Shippou," she smiled. Climbing up the vines that ran along the inside of the well, she was almost at the top when she felt a grip on her ankle and was pulled back towards the bottom of the well, landing in the dirt with a nice 'thud'.

Inuyasha looked down at her with a triumphant look on his face. "That's what you get!"

"Ooooh," she began, brows furrowing with a tinge of fire in her eyes. His ears drooped at the rage he saw in her face. "Osuw-," He flew towards her and straddled her waist, again, putting his hand over her mouth.

"And don't even think about licking me."

She shimmied under him, trying to get free. Suddenly, both of their eyes widened at the realization of the position they were in. He leaped off of her. After a moment of silence, he offered her a hand. She slowly took it and he wrapped his arm around her waist, carrying them both up and out of the well.

"Come on, Kagome! We have a surprise for you!" Shippou said ecstatically while bouncing up and down. He grabbed her hand and began to drag her through the woods and towards the village.

"Slow down, Shippou. I can't walk as fast as a big strong demon like you," she smiled.

Puffing out his chest, he responded, "That's right! I forgot how weak you little humans are! I'll slow down, just for you, Kagome!" She patted him on the head and scooped him up in her arms, continuing their walk towards the village.

Inuyasha continued to stand there by the well. The position they were just in brought back the memories of the previous night. The embarrassment that he suffered last night came back in full force, and he slumped down onto the ground, leaning against the well. _'Why are these thoughts so strong, lately? Is it because of the dreams she is having? These thoughts only got so strong when she started having them, after the capture. Wait a second…,' _his ears perked up. He jolted up and flew through the tree tops towards the village.

"Where's the monk?" The hanyou asked Kaede.

"I'm right here," Miroku called out from the side of Kaede's garden. Both he and the old miko looked at the frantic Inuyasha with curiosity and concern. "What did you need?"

"I need to talk to both of you. Alone."

The three walked a little ways away from the garden, out of hearing range of the other villagers, and sat down upon the grass.

Inuyasha sighed. After a moment of silence, Kaede spoke up. "Inuyasha, is everything alright?"

"Um…Kagome has been having weird dreams lately. They just started when she woke up from that incident a few days ago. Do you think they're related?" He blurted out.

"What kind of dreams is she having?" Miroku asked. Inuyasha turned to him, eyes narrowing.

"Doesn't matter," he stated as he folded his arms into his haori and turned his head away, blushing furiously.

"Inuyasha, I believe it does. It might be able to assist us in figuring this out," Miroku replied curiously.

As the hanyou sat there, staring at the ground and fiddling with a blade of grass, he looked back up. "Two things: One, you can't go around tellin' anyone what I told you." They both nodded. Turning to Miroku, he said, "Two, you need to keep your mind in your head and out of the gutter, got that?" Miroku nodded in response. "Okay," he breathed, "Kagome has been havin' dreams of…uh…certain…um…she's been havin'…dammit." He closed his eyes and let out a breath. "She'sbeenhavingsexualdreamsandIthinksomeonegavehersomethingtomakeherhavethosedreams," he spat out.

Kaede was silent while Miroku chuckled. Inuyasha bopped him.

"My apologies, Inuyasha," Miroku responded with a smile, rubbing the bump that now resided on the top of his head. He cleared his throat. "How, exactly, did you know those were the type of dreams she has been having?"

Inuyasha tapped his nose.

"Ah, I see," he said.

"And ye think these dreams are a result of her capture?" Kaede asked.

"Keh."

"There are potions that can influence one's dreams," Miroku said.

"True, but there are demons who can do that, as well," Kaede responded.

"So, do you think that it's a demon or a potion?" Inuyasha interjected impatiently.

"I am not sure. But this does leave me with some thoughts. If I think of anything, I will let ye –"

A loud scream penetrated the air.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha shot up and sprinted towards the hut.

"Sango!"

"Kagome! How have you been?"

"I've been well," Kagome said, hugging her friend. "Shippou told me you guys have a surprise for me?"

"Yes we do," Sango smiled, pausing for a moment. "Miroku proposed."

Kagome let out a loud scream which caused the birds in the trees to scatter into the air. "Oh, Kami! I'm so happy for you! When did he do it? How did he do it? When's the wedding?" she began.

"Woah, calm down," Sango replied, giggling. "Would you – "

"Kagome!" Inuyasha skidded to a halt in front of Kagome, grabbing her by her shoulders and sniffing her frantically. She blushed as Sango just stared with a mix of surprise and amusement in her eyes.

"Um, Inuyasha…what are you doing?"

"I'm checking you! Are you okay? Why did you scream?"

"I'm fine," she giggled. "Sango, why don't you tell him?"

Inuyasha turned to the taijiya, in annoyance that he was worried over nothing.

"Miroku and I are getting married," she said.

Staring at her for a moment, he responded, "Okay."

"That's all?! Aren't you happy for them? You're so insensitive!" Kagome said, slapping him on the arm.

Looking at her, narrowing his eyes, he turned back to Sango. "I'm happy for you," he said emotionlessly.

"Thank you," Sango replied. She knew that's all that she would get out of him, and she appreciated that he even said anything in the first place. She also knew that it was, of course, because the young miko told him to, and he wanted to show that he wasn't completely insensitive. She smiled.

"Keh."

At that time, Kaede and Miroku had arrived, panting and out of breath. "What happened? Is everyone okay?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah. Looks like your fiancé told Kagome some news."

"Ah, I am glad you're not hurt. I take it that you are happy, then?"

Kagome's grinned practically took up her whole face, as she responded, "Oh, yes! I am so happy for you two!" She flung herself into Miroku's arms, hugging him tightly.

Feeling a little awkward with the glare he was getting from Inuyasha, he slowly patted his surrogate sister's back as she let go. "I'm glad."

"Kagome, do you want to go to the hot springs with me?" Sango asked, changing the topic.

"Yes! Let's go!"

Both women climbed atop a transformed Kirara and started for the nearest hot spring.

"I'm so happy for you, both. I don't think I'm going to be able to stop saying that for a few days."

Sango giggled, saying, "I'm really happy, too. I can't believe it's actually happening. It all seems so surreal."

"How did he do it?"

"Well, it was actually just this morning. We went on a little picnic while Shippou was with Kaede, and he just asked me," she sighed, reminiscing. "It was really nice. He took my hands and told me that he loved me. That definitely shocked me, but when he continued, and told me he wanted me to be his wife, I almost fell over."

This time, Kagome sighed with daydreaming eyes. "That's so cute."

"I know," Sango replied, blushing. In an effort to change the subject, she continued, "So how was your day yesterday?"

"It was…okay."

"Why just 'okay'?"

"I don't know. I saw some friends and they were talking about prom," she said. Sango looked at her, tilting her head slightly, giving her a puzzled look. "It's a night that seniors, the ones in their last year of school, go and dance with their date and friends. It's supposed to be this fun and romantic night. It's like a tradition."

"So what's so wrong with that?" Sango asked.

She sighed. "I don't know. A few years from now, I'd be super excited to go. But now…I just don't really feel the need to. It doesn't seem very important to me. Since I fell through the well, I have a lot more vital things to worry about. Besides, they tried to hook me up with Hojou, again."

"That boy you went on those dates with?"

"Yeah. He came over, and they told him that I wanted to go to prom with him. I tried to tell him that I wasn't going, but my friends kept interrupting me."

"So I take it you don't really like this guy? Is there a reason why?"

"Not really. I mean, he's incredibly sweet and caring. He's very smart, too. I just…don't like him like…'that'."

"Ah…could it be that there is someone else that you like…like 'that'?"

A slight pink dusted across her cheeks. She slapped Sango in the arm playfully. "Oh, shut up," she giggled.

"You know that he cares about you. Why don't you let him know your feelings?" Sango asked.

"I don't know. Maybe it's because Kikyo is still around. I know she will always have a place in his heart, and I understand that. It's hard to let go of your first love," letting out a dejected sigh, she continued. "I just also don't know how big that place in his heart is. He loves her, and I feel that, at least subconsciously, that's what's holding me back. I don't want him to have to choose between me and Kikyo. That would tear him apart. Sometimes, though, I see him looking at me, and I could swear, at least for a split second, that there was love in his eyes. Then, I wonder if he is looking at Kikyo through me."

"Just because you look like her, doesn't mean that's who he's looking at. He knows that you are not her. You're not the only one who sees the way he looks at you. We all do. But we also know that he's genuine with his feelings towards you," Sango replied.

"I just don't know."

"Maybe you should go to the prom. It'll take your mind off of this for a little, anyway, right?"

"I guess so."

Sango turned to the miko and grabbed her hands, safely wrapping her own around them. Looking straight into her eyes, she said, "Look. I know how much this bothers you, and I hate to see you like upset. You don't deserve that. I'm just saying that a good night of fun might make you feel a little better."

"I guess you're right."

"Don't give it too much thought. Just have a good time."

Kagome replied with a sad smile as the girls finished bathing.

Not too far into the woods from the springs, Inuyasha had just caught two wild rabbits for dinner and was on his way to bring them back to Kaede's hut, when he caught part of the girls' conversation. The only words he had heard were "Hojou", "dancing", and "romantic". A low growl emanated from his throat as he stormed off toward the village.


End file.
